In Mumbai, President Droupadi Murmu is celebrating the RBI’s 90th anniversary. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill is anticipated to be introduced before the current session concludes when Parliament reconvenes on Tuesday.
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric is set to embark on a five-day state visit to India on Tuesday, marking his first official trip to the country since assuming office.
Invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Boric’s visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations and discuss key international issues of mutual interest. According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, Boric and Modi will hold a meeting on Tuesday. Later in the day, the Chilean leader is also scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu.
Meanwhile, President Murmu is expected to travel to Mumbai on Tuesday to attend the closing ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as stated in an official announcement.
On the same day, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will launch the “NITI NCAER States Economic Forum” portal. This platform will provide access to an extensive repository of data on social, economic, and fiscal parameters of states, covering a period of over three decades until the financial year 2022-23.
In another development, the Supreme Court is set to hear a plea on Tuesday challenging a provision of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. This law mandates that the religious character of a place of worship must remain as it was on August 15, 1947.
According to the cause list for April 1, the plea will be heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar. The Act prohibits the conversion of any place of worship and ensures the preservation of its religious character as it stood in 1947. However, the dispute concerning the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was excluded from its scope.
The petition seeks the Supreme Court’s direction to allow courts to issue orders determining the original religious character of places of worship. It challenges Section 4(2) of the Act, which prevents any proceedings aimed at altering the religious character of a site and bars the filing of new cases for such matters. The plea argues that while the Act mandates the preservation of religious character, it does not restrict changes to the physical structure of these sites. It also does not prohibit scientific or documentary surveys to determine their historical religious status.
In February, the Supreme Court expressed displeasure over multiple petitions regarding the 1991 Act, stating that a three-judge bench would hear the pending cases in April.
In Parliament, Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Monday that the government is ready to present the amended Waqf Bill as the House reconvenes on Tuesday following the weekend and Eid holiday.
Rijiju mentioned that the timing of the Bill’s introduction would be decided after discussions in Parliament, but he expressed a desire for its swift passage. The ongoing Budget session is set to conclude on April 4, requiring the Bill to be approved by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to become law.
Opposition parties strongly oppose the proposed legislation, calling it “unconstitutional” and detrimental to the Muslim community. However, Rijiju accused certain political parties and organizations of spreading misinformation to create tensions. He asserted that the Bill serves the interests of the Muslim community.
